Background
He was born on June 9, 1854 at Fayette, Missouri, United States, where his father was a merchant. He was the youngest of the six children of John and Anna (Aull) Shafroth, of Swiss and German birth respectively.
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An Imperial Policy Dangerous to the Republic
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John Franklin Shafroth
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also known as
"Honest John"
Education
He received his primary education in the Fayette public schools and at Central College, and graduated from the University of Michigan in 1875. He then studied law in the office of Samuel C. Major of Fayette.
Career
He was admitted to the Missouri bar in 1876, and practised with his preceptor Samuel C. Major of Fayette until 1879, when he moved to Denver, Colorado. After some years of private practice here he was chosen city attorney in 1887 and again in 1889.
In 1894 he was elected to Congress on the Republican ticket. He bolted the Republican National Convention of 1896 and with Senator Henry M. Teller helped found the Silver Republican Party. As a candidate of this party, and endorsed by the Democrats, he was reelected in 1896 and 1898, and with the disappearance of the Silver Republicans he was again returned in 1900 by the Democrats.
His election in 1902 was contested and the ballot boxes were taken to Washington. He requested permission to examine them, found that in certain districts frauds had been committed in behalf of the entire Democratic ticket, and immediately resigned (February 15, 1904), asserting that he would not hold a tainted seat. He was generally praised for this act, which was practically unprecedented. Later that same year he ran again for Congress, but was defeated.
While in the House his efforts had been largely devoted to the problems of the West. His battle for the Reclamation Act was successful, though his dream of free silver was not attained. He also introduced (March 27, 1897) a resolution to abolish the session of Congress held after the election of the succeeding Congress, popularly known as the "lame duck" session.
In 1908 and again in 1910 he was elected governor of Colorado. In the latter year he called the legislature in special session in an effort to force the enactment of the Democratic platform pledges of the previous year, and it was at that session that the direct primary, initiative, and referendum were adopted. Under him also the Highway Commission was started on its good-roads program.
In January 1913 he was chosen by the legislature to the United States Senate, where he supported President Wilson in nearly all matters. He clashed with the President, however, as he had with President Theodore Roosevelt, on the question of conservation; his speech in the Senate, March 21, 1914, is the classic presentation of the Western viewpoint on that problem.
During the World War, with three sons in the service, he stood vigorously by the administration. After his defeat for reelection in 1918, he was for two years administrator of the War Minerals Relief Act.
His death occurred in Denver in his sixty-eighth year.
Achievements
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John Franklin Shafroth was a Democratic member-elect to 58th Congress, but after he found, there was the fraud in behalf of the entire Democratic ticket he resigned, thus he was referred to as "Honest John". He was the leading Senate sponsor of the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917, drafted and had charge of the bill providing constitutional government for Puerto Rico. In the Banking and Currency Committee he helped frame and adopt the Federal Reserve Act.
Works
book
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An Imperial Policy Dangerous to the Republic
( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)
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An Imperial Policy Dangerous to the Republic
Politics
He was a Republican (1895-1897), Silver Republican (1897-1903) qand finally he switched to Democratic party (1903-1922).
He was a strong advocate of free coinage of silver, supported a constitutional amendment for woman's suffrage. He became an advocate of the League of Nations.
Connections
On October 26, 1881, Shafroth married Virginia Morrison of Fayette, Missouri, who exerted a marked influence on his life and character; they had four sons and one daughter. One son and the daughter died before their father.
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Born
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Died
February 20, 1922 (aged 67) -
Nationality
American -
Political Party
Democratic party